Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Bariu Aliu, a traditional chief priest of the Igunuko Shrine in the Alpha Beach area of Ajah, Lekki, Lagos. Aliu, also known as “Malo,” had been on the run for three months following the recovery of 2,760 kilograms of skunk from his shrine on October 25, 2024. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed on Sunday that the shrine served as a hub for drug syndicate activities, with Aliu identified as the group’s leader. Two of his accomplices had previously been arrested, charged, and convicted.
In another major operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 40-foot trailer carrying 2,217.6 kilograms of skunk during an intelligence-led operation in the Kagini area of Kubwa, Abuja. The illicit consignment, originally loaded in Edo State, was being distributed into six vehicles for transportation to northern states when the bust occurred at 1:20 a.m. on January 11, 2025. Along with the drugs, the operatives seized the trailer, six vehicles, and arrested a suspect, 42-year-old Isaac Monday Desmond.
Meanwhile, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), NDLEA officers raided a location in Nyanya, leading to the arrest of two suspects, Anthony Nnamdi and Abba Ali. They recovered 1.398 kilograms of cocaine and a precursor substance used to prepare crack cocaine. Additionally, 20 wraps of cocaine weighing 330 grams were intercepted in Lagos from a cargo shipment bound for Australia, where the drugs had been concealed in face cream containers.
Further highlighting the agency’s efforts, Babafemi disclosed the seizure of 338,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup, worth over ₦1.19 billion, from two containers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State. The illicit consignments were discovered during joint inspections with Customs and other security agencies. In Kano, NDLEA operatives also arrested a 23-year-old suspect, Habibu Ya’u, during a raid that uncovered 45 blocks of cannabis, weighing 24.2 kilograms, and 40,800 pills of opioids, including tramadol.